Starting bare root roses in pots: pros and cons?

11 years ago

So i did the nasty and bought some bare roots from HD, they just came in near me. They are soaking (roots only). None have leafed out, they just seemed to arrive in my zone and show minimal red buds just popping. I know that they are not the best choice as starter bare roots, but it's done now.

Last year I soaked for about two days and planted directly in the ground. I buried the grafts. They seemed to take off but ended up having die back on many canes. Currently, most show only one or two green and budding. One seems like it is sending up a new basal from below, I hope it is not rootstock, time will tell. Past bare roots were so-so a couple thrived right in the ground, a couple took a year to get going.

This year I am considering planting them in pots first. The size would be the size that an average potted rose comes in from a nursery, I think that is 5 gallons?

I'm in philadelphia, now zone 7a.

I have potting soil, composed manure (bagged), compost (from the bin out back), and native topsoil that is a bit sandy. I also have black mulch to top with. I may try and make a mix of this, depending on what people suggest. The only pot-grown roses I have I potted with a bagged shrub potting mix recommended to me at a nursery. Those do fine in that but I don't know if it is necessary for these, given that I may transplant them to the ground later in the season (fall) or next year.

Would anyone recommend me trying to start them in pots to get the roots going, as opposed to planting in the ground? Pros or cons?
I thought about growing one of these in a pot long term, but not sure which one yet. I'm in love with seil's pot garden! :)

Can I start them in 5 gallons with a mix of topsoil, compost and potting mix that I already have?

I'm sort of curious to do it this way to see for my own eyes when re-planted how the roots develop on these bare roots. But if the consensus is it's better to put them in the ground I'd try to do so.

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Comments (6)

seil zone 6b MI
11 years ago
The biggest advantage to potting them up for a while is that you can pamper them more easily. In the pots you can move them in and out of the sun as needed and keep a closer check on moisture, mounding or tenting them. They're also easier to dispose of if they don't make it.
Tuggy3
11 years ago
I usually pot up the ones that come in in not so good shape-spindley, etc. Often the roots are not as long also so they easily fit in 5 gallons. I agree that you can kind of keep a good eye on them, pamper them, and see if they are garden worthy. I used to dig up and pot the ones that were lagging after a month or two. Since that seemed to help I decided to do it to begin with with all the ones that looked feeble. I think there is some advantage to this if the plant seems to be less than pristine. Can't hurt. Mary
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Windeaux-you are right, no bare roots at Rogue. Campanula-One year I bought some of those "containerized" roses locally also. Big surprise. I paid an extra $10 for five gallons of potting soil. I guess those have to stay in the pot for awhile. In line with your responses I'll take more precautions against the fierce winds and temp fluctuations. I thought the early warm temps were in my favor but I think they worked against me. The bare roots I received this year had much better root systems and looked much fresher than last year so I thought I was home free. Back to the basics. It wasn't all a loss. I will have to say my not at all Passionate Kisses has a really full large cream bloom and my Crimson Bouquet put up with the way I treated it and is doing well. Since it's the second year in a row for one company I'm asking for a re-issue on the mislabeled ones.
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I actually prefer growing them in containers. When I first started growing roses, I lived in an apartment and didn't want to plant them in the ground, seeing as how I only rented the place and didn't want to leave them if I ever moved. Later on, I did decide to try planting some in the ground, and only one survived. It does seem better to start them off in their own pots first, letting them become somewhat established with more of a root structure. It would give them a much better start at growing bigger and stronger, better able to handle being planted in the ground later on, should you decide to do so. My neighbor loved my roses and he would always come by and buy some from me for his wife. There is one drawback to growing them in containers. Theft. I had this absolutely gorgeous rose called "Royal William." It had deep red, fragrant roses, that was my favorite. I came home one day and someone had come by and stole the plant right off of my porch. I've been wanting another one of that variety ever since. But where I live now is a much better and more secluded neighborhood. I joke around with my friends about how I could leave all my doors wide open and leave for the day, and no one would bother my stuff, lol. I love my neighbors, and they all love my garden.
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Diane, If only I could travel there and bring back plants! It sounds like a really good nursery. I wish my local nursery could have stayed in business. They were very good about taking care of their plants and would hold bought/sold ones for customers if we couldn't take it home right away. Kitasei, I think BayAreaGirl and GardenGal answered really well. I would like to add that band size and gallon size roses are usually pot-culture roses (started from cuttings) and they should come well rooted. I've come to expect that it's pretty much a given that most places will sell you a potted up bare root (grafted or ownroot) early in the year. These will generally come in 2-3gal pots. I think you can tell they were originally bare roots from how thick the cane/crown/top growth is compared to the size of the pot they're in. Fully container grown roses of that size would not be able to thrive in that tight space. The top growth reflects the size of the roots, or in this case - the size the roots used to be. Bare roots can stay in those pots for a while because they need to regrow their roots, but they should quickly outgrow them. Now, if I saw a rose for sale in a 5gal (or larger) pot, then that would lead me to believe that it's been in the pot for a long while and has a big root system.
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A li late to the party :) but for other readers like myself who will fond this thread in the future: while i have no experiece with using TP rolls (though was contemplating it recently), i do have to say that from having gone through 7 different types of peat type pots to start seeds, what ive learned is: its probably just easier to use plastic multi cell trays or 2” nursery pots in the long term. here are the issues: 1. some peat pots are really bad material and will grow horrible mold in matter of days. this will even affect the rate of growth though otherwise harmless. 2. other peat pots are sturdy and seem nice but your roots will suffocate as they will be too delicate to grow through and will get trapped in the walls. 3. jiffy pots so far are the only ones that are decent material and roots can grow through fine. however! aftee you repot into another size contaner ans roots grow out, on rhe second repotting the new roots are likely to tear off. the soil will not fuse with the peat pot and any soil that is on the bottom can break off along with all the new roots. also also, if you ever need to get to the roots or treat eat plant (lets say you have 2-4 seedlings per pot) you are pre much doomed to damage the root system. so, the only time i would ever use peat pots is when after the seedlings grow, i would plants then never repot (outside or in a pot they wilk live on forever). TP roll would allow roots to grow out the bottom, but it will not allow them to spread out horizontally which makes for long roots as opposed to a fanned out network like the top part of the plant. Also, all of the mold growing and slow bio-degratable elements are true. Man, i think i just talked myself out of using TP rolls for seedlings. Though, if no mold grows and the roots dont grow into the inner wall of the cardboard one thing could be useful: you could then either cut off the roll OR push the plant out from the bottom becore planting the seedlings.
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lola-lemon
11 years ago
I always pot mine up first. If you ever buy a potted rose at a nursery-- it started as a bareroot and they potted it.
So, It's a very normal step in a roses life.
cecily
11 years ago
'they ended up having die back on the canes.'

Don't blame yourself for this -- cheapo bareroots often have the canes dipped in wax and those always die back.
ken-n.ga.mts
11 years ago
Pot them up. Make sure the pots are 5 gal. not 3 gal. They'll be OK for this year. They'll grow and bloom. Just put them in the ground early next spring. They should take off like crazy then.
merlcat
Original Author
10 years ago
So I potted up my 4 bare root plants. So far so good. One is losing some leaves from underneath, turning yellow and falling off. This one is Brandy, and seemed like the most vigorous one with a jillion budeyes. Well, maybe a billion.

The rest of the plant seems okay with the top growth nice and fresh and green so I am not sweating it too much. My Peace leaves looked a little funny, but I think I read on a different thread that their leaves sometimes have a "puckered" look to them at first, so I think she is okay, too. Time will tell for both of them, I guess.

My question: I think I know where I want to have them planted in the ground. They have been growing in the pots since March 28th, when I last checked this thread.

If I now plant them in the ground, would I be risking stressing them or their roots (which I am hooping are growing!). I am pretty good at getting stuff in the ground w/o disturbing roots too much if need be.

Do I have to wait till fall? Or, since we have had such a cool, mild spring and just had a good rain, is it possible that I could transplant them now? I know nursery plants in pots start as bare root, but I am not sure how much of a root system they would have in comparison to my non-greenhouse grown potted bare roots. I'm sure mine have fewer roots, so would I be doing a bad thing to try and put them in the ground now?

Starting bare root roses in pots: pros and cons?

Comments (6)

seil zone 6b MI

Tuggy3

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Starting bare root roses in pots: pros and cons?

Comments (6)

seil zone 6b MI

Tuggy3

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lola-lemon

cecily

ken-n.ga.mts

merlcatOriginal Author

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